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Allocations Plan

The legal challenge against the Allocations Plan has been dismissed.

Allocations Plan Adopted

The Rochford District Allocations Plan was formally adopted by the Council on 25 February 2014 following confirmation from the Planning Inspector conducting the examination that the Plan was sound and legally compliant. The Allocations Plan allocates specific sites and sets out detailed policies for a range of uses, including residential, employment, education and open spaces, and has been prepared in accordance with the general locations and policies set out in the adopted Rochford Core Strategy.

The adopted Allocations Plan and relevant documents can be downloaded below:

Implications of Technical Housing Standards: In March 2015 the Government introduced new national technical housing standards in England and detailed how these would be applied through planning policy. This new national approach includes additional ‘optional’ Building Regulations on water efficiency and access, and a nationally described space standard. These new standards came into effect on 1 October 2015. From this date, relevant Allocations Plan policies should be interpreted by reference to the nearest equivalent new national technical standard. More information on these changes can be found here

A legal challenge to the adoption of the Allocations Plan was made to the High Court on 4 April 2014 under Section 113 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 on grounds that the document is not within the appropriate powers and/or a procedural requirement has not been complied with. The judgement, which was handed down on 19 December 2014, dismissed the claim.

Allocations Plan – Public Exhibitions

Unmanned exhibitions took place across the District for a two week period from 3 March 2014 at Rayleigh, Rochford, Hullbridge, Hockley and Great Wakering libraries, Hullbridge Community Centre and The Mill in Rayleigh to highlight the adoption of the Allocations Plan.

The exhibition material and an interview with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation, Cllr Keith Hudson, can be viewed below:

Thank you to everyone who commented on the exhibition. The comments received have been collated, and the main issues raised and responses to these are available to view at this link

Examination

The Allocations Submission Document was submitted to the Government for independent examination on 18 April 2013. The Plan has been examined by a Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.

Submission Document

The Allocations Submission Document sets out proposed policies for allocating land across the District for a number of uses, including housing, open space, town centres and environmental designations. This document was consulted on between 29 November 2012 and 25 January 2013.

The Submission Document and other key documents, including the Sustainability Appraisal of the Plan which assesses the potential environmental, economic and social impacts of the options, can be downloaded from the table below:

Discussion and Consultation Document

The Discussion and Consultation Document set outs potential options for the location of new residential development, employment locations, education facilities, community facilities, and wildlife sites among other uses.

The purpose of the Discussion and Consultation Document was to provide people with the chance to consider and comment upon allocation options that have been put forward for development. This document was consulted on between 17 March 2010 and 30 April 2010.

The Discussion and Consultation Document and other key documents, including the Sustainability Appraisal of the Plan which assesses the potential environmental, economic and social impacts of the options, can be downloaded from the table below